MERIWETHER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IMPLEMENTS AUTOMATED
ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT CHILDREN WHO RIDE SCHOOL BUSES
REDFLEX Student Guardian® monitors and deters drivers who illegally pass school buses.

Meriwether County School students who rely on school bus transportation now have an extra layer of protection as they enter and exit the bus: REDFLEX Student Guardian®, an automated safety camera system for monitoring and deterring drivers who illegally pass school buses, endangering the lives of children.

The routes include two school buses equipped with Student Guardian, and analysis is currently underway to determine which other routes are the most problematic and how many additional buses would benefit from the technology.

“Keeping our students safe is of the utmost importance. Utilizing Student Guardian allows us another tool to make sure our kids arrive safely at school and at home,” stated Carol Lane, Meriwether County School District superintendent. “We never want to lose a child, to a senseless accident. The goal of the Student Guardian program is to make drivers more mindful, and more aware near our school buses.”

The Student Guardian safety camera system is installed on the driver’s side of a school bus. It monitors traffic while the bus’ stop arm and amber lights are displayed, leaving the bus driver free to focus on students. A camera is triggered to capture data as a vehicle passes the bus while children are entering and exiting. Evidence of violations, including video and high-resolution images, is submitted to local law
enforcement to determine whether a citation is warranted. If an officer determines a violation occurred, the registered owner of the vehicle is mailed a citation for passing a standing school bus. The registered owner will have an opportunity to log onto a dedicated website to review images and video of the violation.

The fine if caught by a camera illegally passing a school bus in the state of Georgia is $300 for the first offense, $750 for the second offense, and $1,000 for the third offense within five years. Meriwether County Schools reached an agreement with Redflex Traffic Systems®, Inc. to operate Student Guardian without any upfront costs. The program is fully funded by violations. The presence of this technology
serves as a deterrent for breaking the law. Motorists considering the gamble are likely to abide by the law when they see the cameras. Additionally, this technology serves as a “police force multiplier” allowing officers to refocus their energies on other high-priority tasks while ensuring the safety of school bus routes.

According to a 2012 study by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, 28 states found more than 88,000 vehicles illegally passed 100,000 school buses in one day. That represents more than 16 million illegal passes nationally in a typical 180-day school year.

“Student Guardian is an extremely valuable tool school districts can use to protect kids who ride the bus. It’s unrealistic to think law enforcement can patrol hundreds of bus routes on their own every day,” said Thomas O’Connor, president of Redflex’s student safety division, Redflex Student Guardian. “Not only do the safety cameras monitor and deter drivers from breaking the law, they raise community awareness about school bus safety in general.”

To learn more about Student Guardian, visit www.redflexstudentguardian.com.
About Redflex Traffic Systems®, Inc. Redflex Traffic Systems®, a leader in road safety technology, operates more than 2,000 photo enforcement systems in more than 250 cities throughout the United States and Canada. With continuous development of new safety products, Redflex has been helping to reduce collisions and save lives for the past 25 years. For more information, visitwww.redflex.com.